Now before I start my rant, I first want to say that I am NOT a backwoods, redneck, racist. All I am saying is that this whole being a white man does not mean what it used to and that is good. We have progressed to a point in society that being black, Asian, a woman, or anything other than a white man doesn't mean that you cannot succeed in this great nation. That is what this country is founded on and the way it needs to be.
After saying that, I will begin my rant. I am from a small, predominately, farming community in central Wisconsin, and that will always be my home because it’s filled with good hardworking American families. I come from a very specific background which has lead to my beliefs. Women in this country want to cry for equality, but don't understand what that word means. Equality means you have the same chance as every other person, not equal numbers. One example of this is refs in professional sports. There is only one ref in the NBA that is female, and none in the NFL. Well take a look at the fucking numbers, there is only one ref in the minor leagues for the MLB, well let’s say there are 100 minor league umps, that means her chances of making it to the MLB should be 1%. Well those odds aren't that good, does that mean that the MLB is full of sexist fucking pigs that don't want women to ump, NO!!!! It means that there aren't enough women trying to become professional umps. Then let’s look at the race differences in this country. Is racism completely gone in this country, of course not and anybody who says otherwise is a fool. I have talked with my friends, who are of a different race, and I asked how much money they got from the government and it literally takes my breath away. They always like to tell me that well I'm the first generation of my family to go to college to which I respond me fucking too! Did I get any money from the government because of my skin color...FUCK NO!!!!!! Race doesn't hold anybody back anymore, if someone wants to go to college they have to do it the same as a white man does, by getting good grades and doing the extra effort to make you stand out. I am so sick and tired of hearing the bullshit that minorities in this country try to spew out at me every day, well the government is holding me back, you wouldn't understand because you’re white. The only racism in this country anymore is the racism that minorities are putting on themselves and making the fucking excuses to why they shouldn't have to put in the work. That's what is holding anybody back in today’s societies, themselves. Then I have to hear about people bitching that they can't go to college because they don't have the money to go (which also can tie into the race card). You know what I had to do to pay my way through college...suck it up and work a shitty job for the last 5 years. At 16, I drove a pea combine for 90-100 hours a week for my summer. You can always find a job; it’s just that people always think that they are too good for the shit work. I did the shit work for the last 5 years and nobody can tell me otherwise. It has cost me the summers and all the fun comes with it, but big fucking deal, I did what I had to do to. In today's struggling job market, people are looking for the best people to work for them, not the best white man. If anybody is really getting screwed over anymore, it's the white man. No longer is it really just looking at the best possible candidate for the position, everybody is so god-dammed politically correct all the time, that they need the diversity. So for a white man to get ahead in this country anymore, we need to be better than everyone else to get the jobs we want because if it is a tie, nine times out of ten it won't be going to me. Then if I do get the job over the minority, everyone is going to think that it was because of me being a white man and not because of the hard work and dedication that I have put in.
Now there are all these people who want to tell me that we need to embrace Latino history month, Black or Asian history month, and celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness month. What do the white people get???? Every time we try to celebrate our history and be proud of what we are we get shamed into thinking that we are racists. I say NO, be proud of what has been accomplished. Every time one of these celebrations comes along and it’s just putting a bigger riff into society. Minorities are dividing this country because every time we have a celebration for only one group of people, its separates us into groups again. Why not just be proud to be American and embrace it no matter the skin color or gender? I think it’s because minorities want an excuse to get out of the hard work and determination it takes to succeed in this country. I firmly believe that nothing should ever just be handed out, they need to be earned. If you want to do something great, then get off your ass and do what it takes to get it done and don't stop until you get it!
LOL
ReplyDeleteI suggest you take "Ethnic Politics". It won't necessarily cover your concerns with women (which I don't exactly disagree with anyway) but it will certainly shed light on the racial issues you've brought up.
ReplyDeleteIn the meantime, before you take the class (which also counts as a diversity requirement, if you haven't already achieved it) you can read this little article which addresses the problem you seem to be having:
click here .
I think you have legitimate concerns, but I just think you need some more light shed on the subject - i.e., a broader perspective so you can understand why things are the way they are. It's not that you're wrong (because there are people who will take the advantage even when they don't truly need it, just to make things as easy as possible for themselves), but you may not be aware of all the history and facts that back up the way race is taken into account these days when it comes to college admissions and such.
"Now there are all these people who want to tell me that we need to embrace Latino history month, Black or Asian history month, and celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness month. What do the white people get????"
ReplyDeleteJust to clarify, are you saying that white people don't get breast cancer?
But seriously, "what do white people get?" We get everything, culturally speaking. We don't need a specific day to recognize our culture because our culture permeates every part of American society.
I agree with most of what this guy is saying. The only part I disagree with is the idea that working a shit job will somehow allow you to fulfill all your dreams and goals. I have worked the bottom rungs of society to buddy and I am lucky if I get enough hours and cash to pay my expenses to live, much less get ahead. I am not saying hard work won't lead you to greater gains, all I am saying is that sometimes hard work by itself doesn't mean you will get ahead.
ReplyDeleteI am forced to get loans and will most likely end up like many other recent graduates who graduate and get crushed by debt. Sadly, many graduates aren't even getting a job in their fields are close to it. Many are picking up those McJobs even after throwing in 4-6 years to rise above them. Maybe some of it has to do with the issues you talk about?
Prof Chaos
This racist post is too ignorant to waste time picking it apart. I continued to be amazed at the profund ignorance existing on this campus but I guess this person reflects the level of intelligence in my classes. If you don't take the above class then do some serious reading and study. Here are just a few books. America was founded on racism and genocide, not on equal rights. Blacks fought and died to obtain equal rights. Have you ever heard of the Civil War, Reconstruction, and Jim Crow? I recommend the People's History of the United States, followed by Charles Mann' 1493. There are more black and brown people incarcerated today than the number of slaves in antebellum US, but don't take my word for it, read the New Jim Crow. You may not define yourself as a red neck but your views are as ignorant as their's. So start learning. This is definitely a B level institution with idiots like this running around. There are definitely no deep thinkers here.
ReplyDeleteProf Chaos, you are just as fucked up and racist as the white lover.
ReplyDelete10:13, First, most women do not aspire to be refs in the NBA or NFL, but many are qualified and would love to be CEO's of Fortune 500 companies. Of the top 500 companies in the US, only 13 are headed by women, down from 15 last year. So your ideas about equal opportunity for women is just sexist bullshit. I do not have time and space to point out the discriminatory patterns existing on college campuses but women get the short end of the stick here too. A report released by the College Board Advocacy & Policy Center, also said that students who borrow the most are disproportionately black, and are more likely to have attended a private nonprofit or for-profit college than a public four-year college. Black student in general BORROW more money!
ReplyDeleteFrom the Onion:
"White History Year, which runs annually from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, with a 28-day break for Black History Month in February, is dedicated to the recognition of European-Americans' contributions to American politics and culture.
"Frederick Douglass and Martin Luther King Jr. are all well and good," said Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist at a banquet celebrating the arrival of White History Year, "but now is the time to reflect on the accomplishments of such whites as Babe Ruth, Alexander Graham Bell, and Presidents Washington through Bush. Let's use these next 11 months to remember the other American history." "Whites have contributed so much to this country," Frist continued. "Did you, for example, know that a white man, Jonas Salk, discovered the cure for polio? It's true." From now until Feb. 1, 2004, educators will eschew discussions of Rosa Parks in favor of Andrew Carnegie, Neil Armstrong, and Tim Allen. Schools nationwide will shelve African-American history pamphlets in favor of such Caucasiacentric materials as the Macmillan & Rowe American History Textbook New Revised Standard Edition and Encyclopedia Britannica.
Scholars say there is a remarkable wealth of documented white history to explore. "There's so much more white history out there than you might imagine," said Dr. James Corman, a Princeton University history professor. "America's publishing houses, newspapers, movie studios, magazines, and radio stations have kept remarkably thorough records of white Americans' accomplishments."
White History Year will also be commemorated on television, with various networks airing special programming recognizing whites' contributions to society. The History Channel will set aside the Tuskegee Airmen documentaries that have dominated its schedule throughout February, instead presenting programs on Chuck Yeager, the white man who broke the sound barrier, and Paul Revere, a key white figure in the nation's fight for independence from England. A&E's Biography will spotlight such white luminaries as Johnny Unitas, Mae West, and Edward R. Murrow. Between prime-time programs, NBC will air White History Minute segments hosted by white actress Bernadette Peters. Americans of every color will set aside their differences to celebrate White History Year.
"I think it's good to give people a closer look at a culture they usually don't even think about," said Gary, IN, realtor Willie Anderson, a respected member of the city's black community. "I mean, it's right in front of you every day. It's such a huge part of your life. You're surrounded by it from the day you're born until the day you die, so it's easy to take for granted that you already know just about everything there is to know about it." Added Anderson: "Do you realize that Henry Ford, a white man, invented the 'assembly line,' a mass-production technique that revolutionized industry around the world? They had something about it on TV again last night."
3:03 -
ReplyDeleteBombastic statement: "There are definitely no deep thinkers here".
What do you mean, "here"? At this university?
This post reflects an uninformed opinion, not the notion that there are no deep thinkers at this university.
You don't need to be rude in response to unintentional ignorance. Ignorance by definition is a lack of information/knowledge, and it should not surprise you that there are college students who are ignorant. Students have to learn and be taught. If they already knew everything as you expect them to, they would have no reason to be here.
If anything, I'd imagine someone with your apparent knowledge/background would understand where this mindset comes from and how deeply ingrained it can be in one's thought processes, having been passed down through generations. This kind of thinking will phase out over time - through teaching the history, politics, and philosophy of sexism/racism (particularly in America). This is what students need to be able to critically assess not only the world around them, but also their own opinions and beliefs regarding certain issues. Give them the tools they need, and encourage them to think instead of just throwing historical references, book titles, and insults at them (I hope your comment isn't reflective of your attitude towards your own students who apparently are all just as "unintelligent" as this poster is).
And Prof Chaos - you should probably read that article in my 11:23 post.
I'll be honest, I'm not proud of being a white man. I'm rather embarrassed. But I'm stuck with this body.
ReplyDelete9:02
ReplyDeleteI will be honest too. I am not proud of being a black man. I wish I were white but I am stuck with this body. When people see me, depending on their age, they see different things. Just about everyone, including black people, are afraid of a young black man wearing saggy pants and over sized shirts!
An old white lady clutches her purse more tightly when they see me coming. Department store clerks see me as a potential shoplifter and shadow me around the store. Cops see me a gang member or driving while black. White women see a potential rapist or as a hyper sexual man wanting to bang them. Younger white kids, rebelling against their parents, see a cool dude and emulate my life style, many become, as a result, wiggers. White men usually see me as a threat (taking their jobs and women) or as a thug or gang banger. My white profs see me as a slow learner and not well informed as the other white students in the class. Black students usually get the lowest grades in most classes. The white administrators, on the other hand, see me as concrete confirmation of diversity success and keep my mug shoots on page one of the campus web site. They don't give a damn whether I graduate. The white coaches see me as a meal ticket to the Stagg Bowl. My black profs, the one or two that still exist on this campus act like my white profs. "Where are the black profs?" There are less than 4 on this entire campus.
When I walk around campus with my white girl friends everyone looks at us strangely. Damn, If I were white I could vanish into a sea of whiteness. Even if my skin was just a little lighter, I could pass for white but I am very dark so I cannot escape.
I love the fact that Steve Jobs was able to pass for white his entire life. He was really an Arab (his real father was a Syrian) but he passed for white his entire life. Some call him the most famous Arab in history. He never embraced his Arab identity. I wish I could follow his lead and reject my black identity and become white like Jobs.
Stay hungry
Stay foolish
8:34, Your post is almost too stupid to even warrant a response. I hope you are not a member of the faculty.
ReplyDeleteFirst, don't criticize my listing of sources and then do the same damn thing yourself. I am not personally offended by your recommendation of Wise. He is a good source for the students, as are the books I listed. So get off your high horse. What is good for the goose is good for the gander.
You agree with the racist poster's idiotic comments on women, especially the silly comments on the lack of women refs in the NBA and NFL. You should take a course in Women Studies and learn something.
And one final question for you. How am I going to give students the tools they need in a post? Any ideas?
Your comment:
"Give them the tools they need, and encourage them to think instead of just throwing historical references, book titles, and insults at them."
Like I said, "there are no deep thinkers here".
I will be honest too. I am not proud of being an Asian American. White students look at me as if I am an immigrant and do not belong here and cannot believe me when I tell them that my people came to America in the late 1600's, long before them.
ReplyDeleteWhite profs look at me and expect me to get the highest grades in the class, and many of us do. They think we were born smart but unlike American students we study harder and do not fight with our profs. Asian students go to class and you will always find us in the library on virtually any campus you visit.
Because we do well, the campus does not view us as a model minority. Consequently, we are not featured on the web pages or any many of the college publications. I am Japanese but virtually all of the students and profs I run into cannot cannot tell the difference between a Japanese and a Chinese, or a Korean for that matter. They expect me to speak Chinese but my mother tongue is English. I have never been to Japan. I am an American. White immigrants from Europe, even Jews, were able to dip themselves in the melting pot and become white. Mr. Goldstein became Mr. Gold, even Pete Sampras and other immigrants became white. I cannot become white. I look too much like an Asian.
If only I could get the slant out of my eyes.
4:39
ReplyDeleteThe source I recommended was a) extremely easy to access (one click and you're there) and b) a quick, easy, and somewhat entertaining read. For these reasons, a student on here is more likely to actually read it because they don't have to make a special trip to the library to find a special book, when they may need something lighter to get them started, something that does not overwhelm them like a long, dry history book might.
I didn't say I agreed with the comments about women in sports jobs. There just wasn't anything about them that I felt the urge to argue against (they were somewhat meaningless comments anyway).
I didn't mean for you to give students the tools they needed in a simple blog post - I meant in the classroom, since you are a professor. From what your blog comments sound like, you are not understanding of nor sympathetic towards students who are ignorant. It is no wonder you think every student around you is an unintelligent knob. You expect them to all know as much as you do, and when they don't, you throw a heavy bone a hundred yards away and say, "fetch!".
And no, I'm not a faculty member.
4:39, there you go again changing your original position.
ReplyDeleteJust to remind you, here is what you wrote:
"I suggest you take "Ethnic Politics". It won't necessarily cover your concerns with women (which I don't exactly disagree with anyway) but it will certainly shed light on the racial issues you've brought up."
"…which I don't exactly disagree with anyway." Seems pretty clear that you agree with some of that garbage but I will let you slide.
Never down play the importance of books! They are the tools of my trade. You cannot understand Shakespeare without reading him.
Read my post more closer. I have never said that EVERY student is ignorant. I have now and have had in the past some really outstanding students.
Here is your comment:
This kind of thinking will phase out over time - through teaching the history, politics, and philosophy of sexism/racism (particularly in America).
I do not teach history, politics or the philosophy of sexism and racism, so your comment is moot. You should direct it elsewhere. I give students tool of the trade and encouragement to read the dry books I use.
Have I ever heard of the Civil War? Hum... why yes I have and from what I understand the "North" was fighting the "South" to abolish slavery. Now I'm not sure what history books you are reading, but the North's army was made up of pretty much strictly WHITE AMERICANS that were fighting mostly WHITE AMERICANS to end slavery. So for you to say that many "blacks" have died trying to fight this is bullshit for your argument of the Civil War. Reconstruction and the Jim Crow Laws many blacks did die so I'll give you that one.
ReplyDeleteNext, in the post by the obvious black man. Yes I will agree with you there are many people that are still racist. The little old white lady has every right grab her purse because of what your other black peers have gained their reputation for. There is a reason that there so many black and browns in prison. It's because they do illegal things to be put there and aren't there because they are just "black". Just because your race has more people in prison now is in direct relation to the drugs you sell or shit you steal that got you there. Your race got that perception for a reason and instead of getting a job, many of those black joined a gang and did illegal shit to be put in jail. Now is that everybody? No of course it's not, but because of them you get the bad reputation for it.
Your no deep thinkers comment is complete bullshit as well. Anyone can sit back and say that people are ignorant. We are living in the 21st century currently are we not? This great country of ours has worked for YEARS to try and make things equal and shake the racist views of our ancestors. A deep thinker would probably be looking to the future rather than dwelling on the past that cannot be changed. But no you are too fucking stupid and blame the institution. That is the biggest load of crap on this entire blog. Sure America was founded on the views of racism and genocide, but WE as Americans and to fight and many of us died to become free from our European ancestors. Should we hold it against Europe and call them racist for taxing us and blame them for all of our problems? No we are the greatest nation in the world because we work hard and complain harder. We complain to our White leaders who get shit done! And don't even get me started on Obama being President because we all know 99% of black people voted for him and look how well that's turned out so far...
11:17 fair enough. I don't think books are unimportant - it's just that for a lot of students, they are unappealing and maybe hard to understand, so they kind of have to be weaned into them or something, I don't know. And I don't really have anything against the poster's particular concerns about women...but women's studies is definitely not something I really care to engage in for the most part. But I don't condone sexism or anything like that (and I don't think the poster was being sexist). Mostly, your comment about "no deep thinkers" is what really gets me.
ReplyDeleteAnd whoa 11:27 - You are far too uneducated to be voicing your opinion as loudly as you are... I'll say this: You're completely wrong where you stand. If you knew more about the subject you would not be saying the things you are saying. Do you realize that whites get incarcerated less often than blacks do, when both are caught for the same crime? Do you also realize the reason why blacks in inner cities tend to get caught up in gangs and drug dealing? It's because that is in some cases, their best option. Blacks were pushed to the inner cities due to past unfair FHA loan policies (redlining) and something called "urban renewal" (and a bunch of other unfair policies that privileged whites only). So not only were blacks essentially forced into living in non-suburban, non-wealthy areas, they got the shaft when it came to having quality, well-funded schools.
This is hardly even scratching the surface my friend - I seriously think you should take Ethnic Politics even if you have already met the requirement. You NEED it, for your own sake of not embarrassing yourself later on with these kinds of ridiculous, and just plain stupid rants.
And your last paragraph - UTTER NONSENSE! it would take me way too long to explain how horribly wrong, biased, narrow-minded, and uninformed you are.
11:27, I'm sorry to say, but you are very racist in your views. From your tone and style, I believe that you are trying to believe the right things and be responsible in your beliefs. But they are racist as they stand mainly because there is a wealth of knowledge and understanding you have not delved into yet. There is so much institutionalized racism and sexism that pervades this society - yes, America - that manifests itself into so many areas: access to education, incarceration, body image, racial stereotypes, job opportunities, political office, voting practices, and salary disparities (and that just scratches the surface). The mere mention that you are focusing on Obama negatively as a BLACK president who was voted in by blacks (as if they were the only people who voted for him) says that you have some growing to do. And growing isn't bad. The question is whether you are actually listening to what people are saying here or are you just getting mad and tuning us out.
ReplyDeleteJust because it is the "best option" for them doesn't make it the right one. Everybody saying everybody else uneducated and shouldn't be allowed to talk needs to take a step back. That's the whole point of this blog and the whole point of the first amendment...
ReplyDeleteAnon 1:00 _
ReplyDeleteOf course one is going to consider his/her best option as being the right one. It's the best fucking option! It's easy to blame others when you're not in their shoes. I'm sure you would see it differently then. Have you ever watched "The Wire"? You should probably try to watch some episodes of that. Maybe you'll start to get it.
The person with the racist views is uneducated, and no one said they were not allowed to talk. However, this person shows no remorse, only pride, and absolutely no will to actually learn about the subject before mouthing off which is the sign of a moron (probably didn't even read the article that the link was posted for) who is just stubbornly spewing more bullshit for the hell of it, in the form of a terribly, terribly uninformed opinion. I have the same question as 1:32 - is this person really paying attention or just getting pissed because he doesn't want to be wrong?
1127, you are too stupid to read up on the Civil War. You should drop out. The war aims of Lincoln was to prevent succession, only later, when the North suffered serious set backs, did Lincoln move to embrace the destruction of slavery, and issued the Emancipation Proclamation freeing the slaves in the states in active rebellion against the Union, not in the Border States. Regarding black participation in the Civil War itself.
ReplyDeleteBy the end of the Civil War, roughly 179,000 black men (10% of the Union Army) served as soldiers in the U.S. Army and another 19,000 served in the Navy. Nearly 40,000 black soldiers died over the course of the war—30,000 of infection or disease. Black soldiers served in artillery and infantry and performed all noncombat support functions that sustain an army, as well. Black carpenters, chaplains, cooks, guards, laborers, nurses, scouts, spies, steamboat pilots, surgeons, and teamsters also contributed to the war cause. There were nearly 80 black commissioned officers. Black women, who could not formally join the Army, nonetheless served as nurses, spies, and scouts, the most famous being Harriet Tubman (photo citation: 200-HN-PIO-1), who scouted for the 2d South Carolina Volunteers.
Yes, 90 percent of blacks voted for Obama but a lot of white people did too and many more white people voted for Bush, Reagan, Nixon, Johnson, so how did that turn out for you?
I am proud to be a white man too.
ReplyDeleteI too agree with most of your posting. Being married to an educated "white guy" that has worked his ass off and out performed any of his peers yet watched as they have promoted women and men from other ethic backgrounds and actually been boldly told they had to do it because they have to be diverse is SO beyond frustrating. I am so sorry to let you know that after you get your degree, prove yourself, mentor others, etc. - being a white man in today's society ... you are SCREWED!
ReplyDelete